By Amos Williams
Edited by Ezennia Uche
When Mr. Adewale received a message from his landlord announcing a 40 per cent rent increase, he says his heart sank. “I didn’t even know where to start,” the father of three told this reporter. “My salary hasn’t increased in years, but rent keeps rising like fuel prices.”
Across Lagos, similar stories are unfolding as tenants grapple with sudden and steep rent hikes that have become increasingly common among landlords, real estate managers, and housing agents. From central business districts to semi-developed neighbourhoods, residents say housing costs are rising faster than their ability to cope.
Although the Lagos State Tenancy Law of 2011 regulates rent increments and advance payments, tenants say the law offers little protection in reality. “You either accept the new rent or leave,” said a tenant in Surulere who asked not to be named for fear of eviction. “If you talk too much, there are ten other people waiting to take your space.”
Landlords and agents often justify the increases by pointing to neighbourhood development or commercial growth. But tenants argue that the impact cuts across households and small businesses, eroding disposable income and threatening livelihoods.
Landlords, however, insist they are not acting out of greed. Many describe themselves as casualties of Nigeria’s harsh economic climate. “I depend on rent to survive,” said a retired landlord in Agege. “Everything is expensive now—repairs, electricity, security. Maintenance alone can drain you.”
Beyond rent hikes, tenants also allege exploitative practices. In some shared apartments, residents claim landlords inflate electricity bills or demand payments without providing utility statements. “We just get figures, no breakdown, no explanation,” said a tenant in Yaba. “If you question it, you’re tagged as troublesome.”
For many families, rent has become a battle between shelter and survival. “After paying rent, there’s barely enough for food and school fees,” a market trader in Mushin said. As a result, more residents are relocating to distant suburbs where rents are only slightly cheaper but commuting costs and daily stress are significantly higher.
Some landlords have openly declared that “Lagos is not for everyone,” a statement tenants say reflects a growing lack of empathy in the housing sector. At the same time, landlords admit they are becoming more selective, setting higher standards to determine the type of tenants they accept.
The widening divide between landlords and tenants highlights a deeper housing crisis in Lagos, one driven by a severe housing deficit, rising inflation, and weak enforcement of tenancy laws.
Ultimately, until regulatory agencies move beyond policy to enforcement, tenants remain trapped between unaffordable rent and the constant fear of displacement—making decent housing an increasingly elusive dream in Africa’s largest city.
